This invention relates to catalytic cracking and, more particularly, to a process for increasing the yield of valuable liquids in a catalytic cracking unit.
Catalytic cracking of oil is an important refinery process which is used to produce gasoline and other hydrocarbons. During catalytic cracking, the feedstock, which is generally a cut or fraction of crude oil, is cracked in a reactor under catalytic cracking temperatures and pressures in the presence of a catalyst to produce more valuable, lower molecular weight hydrocarbons. Gas oil is usually used as a feedstock in catalytic cracking. Gas oil feedstocks typically contain from 55% to 80% gas oil by volume having a boiling range from about 650.degree. F. (343.degree. C.) to about 1000.degree. F. (538.degree. C.) and less than 1% RAMS carbon by weight. Gas oil feedstocks also typically contain less than 5% by volume naphtha and lighter hydrocarbons having a boiling temperature below 430.degree. F., from 10% to 30% by volume diesel and kerosene having a boiling range from about 430.degree. F. (221.degree. C.) to about 650.degree. F. (343.degree. C.), and less than 10% by volume resid oil having a boiling temperature above 1000.degree. F. Resid oil is sometimes present in greater concentrations or added to the gas oil feedstock.
In conventional fluid catalytic cracking units (FCCU), the hot products from the riser reactor continue to undergo thermal cracking reactions above 900.degree. F. (482.degree. C.) downstream of the riser reactor. These thermal cracking reactions degrade the products, reduce yields, and make excess light gases which often unduly limit the production capability of the catalytic cracking unit.
Furthermore, while it is often desirable to operate a riser reactor at higher temperatures, such as at 1025.degree. F. (552.degree. C.) or higher, to increase gasoline octane and oil and resid conversion, such high temperature cracking have substantially increased the production of ethane and lighter fuel gas. This dramatic increase of fuel gas production can create an imbalance in the refinery fuel gas system. It may also limit the capacity of those FCCUs which have insufficient gas compression capability to handle the increased load. Therefore, despite incentives for increased gasoline and octane production, riser temperatures have sometimes been reduced.
Operation at higher cracking temperatures produce naphthas which are less stable and are more prone to undergo undesired oxidation reactions which form gums. Prior methods for maintaining the stability of cracked naphthas and for maintaining the stability of gasolines containing cracked naphthas have included: 1) addition of antioxidant chemicals such as phenylene diamines or hindered phenols; 2) manipulation of the operating variables of the cracking process, such as lowering the cracking temperature and/or limiting the amount of resid; or 3) limiting the amount of cracked naphtha blended into the finished gasoline.
Typifying some of the many prior art catalytic crackers, regenerators, catalysts, equipment and refinery processes are those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos.: 2,240,160; 2,382,270; 2,382,382; 2,398,739; 2,398,759; 2,414,002; 2,422,501; 2,425,849; 2,436,927; 2,458,862; 2,669,591; 2,827,422; 2,884,303; 2,901,418; 2,981,676; 2,985,584; 3,004,926; 3,039,953; 3,290,405; 3,338,821; 3,351,548; 3,364,136; 3,513,087; 3,563,911; 3,593,968; 3,661,800; 3,676,519; 3,692,667; 3,838,036; 3,844,973; 3,850,742; 3,886,060; 3,907,661; 3,909,392; 4,043,899; 4,218,300; 4,325,817; 4,331,533; 4,332,674; 4,341,623; 4,341,660; 4,375,021; 4,446,009; 4,478,708; 4,552,645; 4,695,370; 4,764,268; 4,814,067; 4,824,557; 4,859,310; and European Patent Application Nos. 83307095.6 (publication no. EPO 113 180 A2), 85307242.9 (publication no. EPO 180 355 A2), and 88309278.5 (publication no. EPO 311 375 A1). These prior art catalytic crackers, regenerators, catalysts, equipment, and refinery processes have met with varying degrees of success.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide an improved process to increase the yield of gasoline (naphtha) in catalytic cracking units and which improves the stability of gasoline (petrol) which contain these naphthas.